The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-14
GIRLS WHO CAN FENCE.
Quicker Than Men and Superior in the
Matter of Strategy.
Fronl tAe Chicooo 1ribnnle.


dozen, ten of whom were of the gentler sex.
1t was only their third or.fomth lesson in the
art of fensing, and they already knew
enough to enable them TO handle their foils
and go through their drill of attack and
defense without hitch.
ut is a great mistake to suppose that
women cannot learn fencing as quickly as
men," said Col. Tom Monastery, subsequent
ly, In chat with reporter; 1.-THE fact is
the women are much the quicker pupils.
They are more flexible of body; their limbs
are more supple and elastic-that's one ad-
vantage Their mental brightness enables
them to pick up the strategy of the art
qulcker-thats second advantage. And,
thirdly, they have more nerve--it's fact;
l don't know why, but it's fact"
The class was one of the regular classes of
the Chicago Conservatory, a school of
drama and music, and one where these arts
are taught in no less than twenty-five dis
tinct branches The school is modelled after
the State-supported dramatic schools of
Vienna and Paris, its object being to give
instruction in everything appertaining to
dramatic and musical art. Fencing is sup
posed to be branch of dramatic art, and
therefore there is a class in fencing, with
Col Monastery as special instructor. ltwas
into the fencing class room that a reporter
accidentally wandered day or two ago
when hunting quite another matter. The
twelve pupils then at work-ten young
women and two young men-stood in row
with their tolls poised III the air, heads
erect, shoulders thrown back, and eyes fixed
on Col. Monastery.
1--WE eep!" said the Colonel. At least it
sounded like we-eep.
The pupils flashed their blades in semi
circle.
"Gar-r-dy!n said the Colonel.
The blades flashed in a new. direction.
Thus it went on. Sometimes the pupils
would spring forward on the right foot,
each stradding at least 4 feet of the floor,
and then fall back with a uniform double
step, the foils swirling around all the time.
The girl pupils were uniformly dressed.
They were neat plain up-and-down cos
TUNES of gray flannel trimmed with white,
the dress being tied loosely around the
waist and hanging in straight folds to a lit
tie above the ankle. They wore no bustles
nor corsets nor any of those other modern
inventions of Satan and Worth wherewith
the female human form divine is disguised
as human monstrosity. Every female pu-
pill in the physical culture branches has got
to discard her proper raiment for the time
being and don a dowdsh, questionable,
warm, comfortable gown of flannel, big
and loose enough to allow free play to every
muscle and sinew.
This rule incidentally serves purpose for
which it was not intended it places the pu-
pills on an equal footing in the class room.
Some of the pupils are poor, struggling
girls-poor, but ambitious. Others are
fashionable young ladies who move in the
inner circles of Society-girls whose ambi-
ton may be merely to shine as stars in their
own limited orbits, or whose motive may
be a laudable desire for a wider education,
both mental and physical. Among the pu-
pills in the class referred to was one young
married lady who has an excellent position
in society and whose husband is we'll known
in professional circles. This lady is in train
ing under an assumed name, but is not at
all ''stage struck" and, whatever her sue
cess may be, will never appear as a profess
sional actress. Of course, some of the pu-
pills are stage struck young women-most of
them indeed may have more or less def
mite idea of eventually snatching glory and
laurels from across the footlights-bu many
of them are working purely for immediate
benefits in the way of vocal and physical
culture. But whatever strata of society the
girls may come from or whatever their mo-
tives may be, they are all on an equal foot
ing in the class room, and the compulsory
flannel uniform has good deal to do with
this.
There is no doubt but that the girls take
readily to the use of the sword. In that
classic production of Mr.. Dave Hendersons.
1.-THE Arabian Nights, it will be remem-
bered that one of the most attractive spec
tacles was the naval combat with short
swords aboard the good ship Gookazoo,
where dozen or more shapely young wom-
en-, clad in the most lovely blue satin jack
cts and pantaloons such as sailors wear in
time of war, fought a quadrille duel to the
death. The guSto with which the young
women slashed each others swords until the
sparks flew and their manifest dislike to
falling down and being killed showed that
they enjoyed the performance quite as well
as the spectators. The conservatory pupils
also like to slash their foils around, and in
this matter of slashing could give 1.-THE
Arabian Nights sailors some points. They
drilled and slashed individually and collec-
lively for three-quarters of an hour, and
then took breathing spell. If any dude or
masher or other offensive male should ever
insult one of these girls when she happens to
have her parasol she'll poke his eve out and
break four of his ribs before he knows what
hit him. And the man who marries one of
them-well, when she gets in a temper he
will have to either sing small or light out
until the storm is over.
The regular lesson being finished, Miss
Mildred Holland and Col Monastery fought
a duel with the fcils-a duel for blood and
points" and glory. Miss Holland is a star
pupil in her third year, and is the most ex-
pert woman fencer in the city, or probably
in the United States. A new pupil-a tall
Young man whose name might be Smart
Aeck-joined the school a few weeks ago to
go through the regular courses.
at isn't necessary for me to attend the
fencing class, he said the first day he came;
81 know all about fencing. Taught fencing
myself for while"
II should like you to have fencing bout
with one of the young ladies'" said Mr.
Kayzer-"just to let them see what you can
do, you know"
''What Fence with girl! Oh, dear
me- it isn't fair to the girll there's no fun III
fencing except with one who knows how.
Still if you insist upon it"
Mr.. Kayzer did mildly insist upon it, and
so Mr. Aleck put on the gauntlets and mask
and doublet, and condescended to cross foils
with modest little black-eyed girl named
Holland. An instant later Mr.. Alexis foil
went spinning across the room, having been
wrenched from his hand i'll some unaccoun-
table way. He picked up the foil shame
facedly, and examined the hilt with appar-
ent interest The hilt was all right. Then
he tried again. Miss Holland Just toyed
with him. She tapped him almost where
she pleased, and when he tried to beat her
down by brute force she had knack of
wrenching his foil from his hand and send
ing it flying.
Miss Holland and her tutor, the Colonel,
are pretty fairly matched, and the battle
was perfect picture of scientific attack